By Daniel Tyokua
The Minister of Works, Engr. David Umahi, has called on contractors handling bridges and roads across the country to heed to the global best practices during execution of projects.
He said the current federal government led by president Bola Tinubu is concerned with nothing but right things for the country, which the works ministry is not excluded.
Umahi advised the contractors that concrete road technology remain the best way to go, and must be taken serious.
During a meeting with contractors handling projects in the North-East zone, the minister explained that concrete initiative was going to enhance the durability of all construction work, both for roads and bridges with the best quality of materials being used.
“I had recently met with contractors handling road dualization projects and my position on the issue is to take one lane and complete it because of paucity of fund, but with the availability of money they could start the second lane .We can manage with one lane instead of not having anything at all,’ he said.
According to Umahi, “presently we have up to N14 trillion on-going projects against 18,000 kilometres, adding that with the renewed hope agenda, contractors should not stay on site more than four years.
A statement issued at the weekend by the Director i, Information and Public Relations in the ministry, Blessing Lere-Adam, said the Minister frowned at situations where some contracts have been on-going for 20 years.
“We are introducing CONCRETE ROAD TECHNOLOGY and some of you are not happy about it. Some are saying it is too expensive but we have to try the both and see which is better.
“In any case, any contractor with an on- going project that is not willing to cooperate with us for a redesign with concrete road technology which with fifty years period free of maintenance, we’ll demand for performance bond. The situation and time when roads are built on asphalt and within two to three years the project is back to square one is gone,” he said .
